


Sugar

by Amythe3lder



Category: Sherlock (TV), Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Baked Goods, F/F, Light BDSM, Sherlock Holmes & Molly Hooper Friendship, Sherlock Knows Coffee, Topping from the Bottom
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-16
Updated: 2015-05-16
Packaged: 2018-03-30 20:30:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 716
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3950692
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Amythe3lder/pseuds/Amythe3lder
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><strong>Prompt: Coffee Shop AU</strong><br/>“You need me. Listen,” he turned back to the customer, “just taste it.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sugar

**Author's Note:**

> Sugar  
> Yes please  
> Won't you come and put it down on me  
> I'm right here, cause I need  
> A little love and a little sympathy  
> "Sugar"-Maroon 5

“This is not what I ordered.”

Sherlock squinted over the splash guard at the woman bothering him. She hadn’t even peeked under the plastic lid yet. Either she was very observant or indiscriminately belligerent, but his afternoon was about to get more entertaining  “Well, that’s not your name on the cup, anyway. ‘Mary,’ really? At least Anthea gets full marks for creativity.” Off to his left, John smirked down at the oolong tea he was brewing.

“I can fire you, Sherlock,” Anthea called out, sounding only half-interested and not at all amused. Few people could fit three lies into four words, but his manager packed light. Pity for her, so did he.

“No, you can’t,” he volleyed, and realised his error when everyone got quiet. Molly shot him a look as she cleared out and went back to her ovens, and ~~Gyuri~~ Greg must have ground those beans into dust for all the noise he wasn’t making anymore. What he’d said was true- of course- but the main reason he still held a position in the coffee shop was secret, so he picked one of the others: “You need me. Listen,” he turned back to the customer, “just taste it.”

Eyes on him, Mary slowly sipped the beverage he’d concocted for her. He saw the instant the flavour hit, and she cocked an eyebrow in grudging appreciation. “Okay.” She paused a moment. When she spoke again, her tone was quietly respectful, though still a bit miffed. “What is this?”

“Decaf peppermint mocha with a squeeze of dark chocolate in the bottom of the cup and candycane sprinkles.”

“I paid for a salted caramel macchiato with an extra shot,” she said. She was working her way back to angry. His next rejoinder was a gamble: it might make things worse.

 _Ah, but who cares_? “That’s only because you’ve not yet discovered your pregnancy.” Quickly, while she was still in shock and before anyone could yell at him, he continued. “Congratulations, the mint should help with the nausea. Have a nice day! Next!” She didn’t leave a tip. He felt like that piece of vital information should have at least garnered a verbal thanks if not a monetary one. _Then again_ , he reflected, _never too soon to start a trust fund_.

Some time later, he went to the kitchen to check on his latest experiment. He and the shop’s baker had been crafting some new biscuit recipes, and it had been a while since he’d seen her. He was a little surprised to be seeing quite so much of her now, and smeared with what smelled like apricot reduction. Anthea would know for sure, though. “Hello, Molly. I hope you set a timer.”

Both women started, but Molly met his gaze with a grin and kept her chin up. “Every batch, Sherlock,” she said, indicating the trays in the cooling rack on the far side of the room. “Rather frustrating, really.” If anything, her smile grew wider. The timer beeped and Anthea donned an apron and gloves to remove the biscuits under Molly’s fond direction.

“Boss,” he said reproachfully to welcome Anthea back to the conversation when she returned, “I think this might be akin to fraternisation.”

Anthea breathed deeply and glared at the ceiling before she spoke. People were always doing that around him. “I’m in no more danger of losing my job than you are.” Mycroft needed her to maintain the story that all he did was keep the books. In actuality, his older brother owned this building and the business it housed, but he couldn’t be arsed to worry about the workings. The fact that he’d selected Anthea as his stalking horse certainly spoke no ill of her.

Still, Molly was his lab partner at the very least, and he wouldn’t stand for her kindness being abused by anyone but himself. He considered what John would do in his place. “Molly,” he asked, “is she hurting you?”

“Not nearly often enough,” she replied evenly.

A wind blew through his mind, stirring up dust. He blinked. “All right then,” he said, but he glanced back as he vacated the kitchen. The sweetness he saw in their shared kiss made his heart flip over behind the secret safety of his ribs, and he silently cheered them on.

**Author's Note:**

> This was a blast once I got my head in it! Another one for Rare Ship Bingo!


End file.
